Bethlehem (Westbank/Palestine). On Monday June 5, 2017, the Arab Educational Institute will organize day-long events along the Wall in Bethlehem. The venue will be near the Sumud Story House.

At the occasion of commemorating 50 years of occupation, 18 international artists submitted digital renditions of arts works at the invitation of the Arab Educational Institute in Bethlehem, member organization of Pax Christi, and Palestine Link, a Dutch-Palestinian organization in the Netherlands. The works will be shown on a screen near the Wall on June 5, during afternoon and evening events. The works relate to visions of ‘occupation’ or ‘freedom’. They provide general reflections, make comparisons and connections, or specifically focus on Palestine. In the list below, the artists are briefly introduced. The commemoration at the Nassar building opposite the Wall in north-Bethlehem will include a public event for children, a public event for adults, and a closed event (Ramadan iftar).

One of the participating German artists is Gangolf Peitz. He works freelance in offering readings, programs, workshops, lectures and art exhibitions with the support of his office for cultural and social work, Saar. As an outsider art-expert, with involvement in cross-border alternative cultural work, he is referent at the European art project Art-Transmitter (www.art-transmitter.de) and conducted various study journeys to the Middle East. For the Bethlehem event he contributes his lyrical painting (text + aquarelle) ‘Westbank-Blues’ with a modified English translation. Peitz: “My work ‘Westbank-Blues’ dates from 2011 when I saw for the first time the sad wall in and near Bethlehem. I got into contact with Palestinian artists at an Arts academy. The text is about a bird which walks on the wall, wondering and philosophizing what this wall is for.., wishing freedom to all people there.”

Los Angeles (US). The Good Luck Gallery presents Czech visionary artist Anna Zemánková (1908–1986). Thirty years after her death, interest in Zemánková has never been greater. Presentation of her opus will be this summer at the Collection de l’Art Brut (Lausanne) and at Cavin-Morris Gallery (New York). The Good Luck Gallery in Los Angeles is presenting the first solo exhibition of Zemánková’s art in California, with rarely-seen works, as well as well-known collages and drawings.